Machines, for example, construction or mining equipment typically include traction devices that help the machines to move about a work area. In many cases, the traction devices include one or more wheels attached to one or more axles. A wheel in turn may be attached to a rim of a tire, using bolts arranged in a generally circular pattern around a rim of the wheel. As a result, the wheels transfer the full load of the machine to the bolts.
The wheels are typically made of cast metal, for example, cast iron. During operation of the machine, portions of the wheels that are connected to the rims may experience significant wear caused due to fretting of material as the bolted joints relax, or due to a mismatch of material properties between the wheel and the rim of the tire. Excessive wear may prevent the wheel from being correctly attached to the rim of the tire. In some instances, continuous use of the wheels may lead to formation of cracks in the wheel, making the wheel unusable. Therefore, it may be desirable to repair the worn out or cracked portions of the wheels to prolong their useful life.
Japanese Patent No. JP2007050446A to Wataru et al. discloses a method of repairing weld cracks using Inconel 690 alloy. In particular, the '446 patent discloses adding a rare earth material such as lanthanum (La) to a filler material including Inconel 690 alloy. The '446 patent discloses that lanthanum in an amount of 0.02 to 0.03% by weight may be added to the filler material to prevent cracking of the welded joints during cooling.
Although the alloy disclosed in the '446 patent may help prevent cracking of the welded joints, still further improvements in the material characteristics may be possible. For example, the welded joints produced by the '446 patent may have a hardness that is significantly different from that of the base material of the component. Difference in hardness of the repaired component and mating parts may abrade the repaired component or the mating parts. The disclosed alloy of the '446 patent may not prevent precipitation of carbides at the interface of the weld material and the base material of the component. Carbide precipitation may cause the interface between the weld material and the base material to become brittle, which may lead to further cracking of the components. Components welded using the method disclosed in the '446 patent may also require additional heat treatment after the welding process to relieve stresses in the component.
The alloy of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.